The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia doctor is on a mission to make cheerleading safer with a new competition

Making cheerleading safer is the mission of a brain surgeon at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. This doctor is an expert in traumatic brain injuries, something that poses a risk in cheerleading.

She has also launched a new kind of cheering competition.

Cheerleading reaches new heights with partner stunting at the Talent Tumbling & Training Center in Blackwood, New Jersey.

A CHOP neurosurgeon and her two daughters are in the middle of the action.

“In my day job, I do a lot of traumatic brain injury research, and so people always ask me, ‘Aren’t you nervous?’ like I was watching them,” said Dr. Shih-Shan Lang Chen.

She said no, she wasn’t too worried as long as proper precautions were taken.

“It’s not a sport that should be dangerous if taught and supervised properly,” Chen said.

According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, about 3.5 million youth, mostly girls, participate in cheerleading. It is estimated that there are 35,000 injuries each year, 31% of which are concussions.

Chen hopes to reduce these numbers by raising awareness about the importance of safety and training.

“No sport will be 100% safe,” she said.

Statistics show that cheering is less dangerous than many other sports, but still has a risky reputation. Chen said it is a good exercise that can also help build resilience, confidence and camaraderie.

“It’s no different than any other sport, but you have to trust your coach, you have to learn the right way and you have to do it as safely as possible, otherwise no one would play sports,” she said.

Chen knows all about taking on difficult challenges. She’s among just 8% of women who are brain surgeons, and now she has a new mission: the Stunt Showdown: a competition that will benefit the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.

“It provides a platform where people can come together, not only because of their love for stunting, but also because of their love for charity and the welfare of children in particular,” she said.

The “Stunt Showdown: Stunting Stronger” event will take place on Saturday, December 21st at Haverford College. Around 50 athletes from across the country have registered for the competition.